Fastening for boots or shoes



(No Model.)

J. W. DENNO. .PASTBNING PoR BooTs 0R SH01-3s.

ihvrTnn STnTns FnTnrvT @ruina JOHN W. DENNO, BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR TO FRANK P.

COX, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

FASTENING FOR BOOTS OR SHOES.

SPEC'XFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,272, datedNovember 9, 1897'.

Original application led January 18, 1896, Serial No. 576,005. Dividedand this application tiled December 3, 1896. Serial No. 614,358. (Nomodel.)

To 0.5.3 whom t may conceive.-

Be it known that I, JOHN XV. DENNO, of Boston, Suffolk county,Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in FasteningsforBoots, Shoes, Gaiters, dac., of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,inaliiu g part of this specification, in Whiclr- Figure l represents ashoe having applied to its instep-opening a fastening constructed inaccordance With in y present invention, said instep being shown open.Fig. 2 represents the shoe with its instep closed. Fig. 3 is an enlargedlongitudinal section on the line 1u iu of Fig. l; Fig. e, an enlargedlongitudinal section on the line fc of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is transversesection on line y y, enlarged. Fie". Gis an enlarged representation ofthe transverse clips which serve to clasp and embrace the round cords orguides at the sides of the opening in the instep of the shoe, as shownin Figs. 2 and 5.

rllhis invention has for its object to provide a desirable, practical,and successful fastening as a substitute for buttons, hooks, elasticwebbing, lacing, and other devices usually einployed for securing boots,shoes, gaiters, corsets, gloves, and other articles in place; and myinvention relates particularly to that class of fastenings in which amovable tongue or band is provided with a series of transverse deviceswhich engage with guides formed at the opposite sides of the opening inthe article to be closed or fastened; and this invention consists in aflexible tongue or band and a series of transverse clips permanentlysecured thereto at intervals, each clip being formed of a pair ofbifurcated clasps united by an in terposed shank, either straight,curved, or otherwise, to which the band is sewed or riveted, incombination With and embracing raised fillets, beads, or piping guideslocated at the opposite edges ofthe opening in the article to which myfastening is applied, the act of closing the opening being convenientlyperformed by simply drawing the band, with the clips attached thereto,through the openin.g,\vhile the act of unfastening the article ordisclosing the opening therein is effected by pressing the transverseclips down (or other direction, as the case may be) close together untilthey are collected at the opposite end of the opening, With the folds ofthe y connecting band or tongue neatly gathered between them, wherebythe necessity of drawing it down below, away from, out of, or beA yondthe opening incident to other fasteners of this class, and theobjections thereto are avoided.

In Figs. l and 2 of the said drawings, A represents a shoe having acentral opening a, at

its instep, each of the opposite sides or edges of said opening beingforined of a piping cord, fillet, or bead, or, in other Words, of around cord covered with a fold of the upper7 or With a separate strip ofleather stitched to the edge of the upper, the two edges or sides ofsaid instep-opening when properly finished serving as raised guides b b.

. (Seen in cross-section, Fig. 5.) TNithin this instep-opening is fitteda band or tongue B, of leather or other suitable flexible material,preferably sewed to the upper at the lower end of said opening. Thewidth of this ilexible band should be about the Width of the opening a,and sewed or riveted to the under side of said band at intervals-forinstance, at equal distances apartare a series of transverse clips C ofthe forni seen in Fig. 6, each clip being formed of al straight orcurved iniddle portion or shank c, having each of its opposite endsterminating in a. bifurcation c", said clips serving as clasps forembracing the two guides b h at the opposite edges of the opening in theinstep. The interposed shank o is provided with tivo or moreperforations CZ d, Fig. G, through which passes the thread or rivets d'd", used in securing the clip to the band, Fig. 5, or this shank oriniddle portion c niay be solid and the stitches d d or other fasteningbe carried around instead of through it. The length of this band B maybe a trilie greater than that of the instepopening, so that `when it isclosed, as seen in Fig. 2, the upper end of the band may eX- tend ashort distance above the opening, and when the band is down serves as aconvene ient means by which the fingers may be applied to draw the bandup from the position IOO - seen in Fig. 1 to close the opening, as seenin Fig. 2, similar to that were the shoe upon the foot, the act ofslightly pulling or drawving up on the said band causing the severalclasps to successively slide smoothly up on the raised guides b b at theopposite sides of the opening a, thus instantly closing it and securingthe shoe in an easy position upon the foot, the arrangement and locationof the clips and band being more clearly seen in the enlarged section,Fig. 4.

When the shoe is on the foot and is tolle unfastened ready for removal,it is only necessary to press gently with the thumb down on the upperclasp, which thereby slides down and causes the other clasps in succes-vsion to slide down on the guides b b, with the band B gathered in neatfolds between them, till the instep-openin g is revealed or disclosed,as seen in Fig. l, the position of the clasps and interposed folds beingmore clearly seen in the enlarged section, Fig. 3.

Instead of the band being longer than the Opening L and ml ndin g aboveit when closed it may be only of the same length therewith, and anornamental loop or other device of metal or other material may besecured to the band for the fingers to grasp in drawing it up to closethe opening, and I find that this` operation of closing said opening inorder to be accomplished successfullyin a prompt and reliable mannerdepends on the careful attachment of the band to each clip, as hereinshown and described--vizsecuring the band at two points, for instance,at d l at or near the opposite ends of the shank c, in order that everyshank may maintain a position at right angles to the opposite guides toinsure the free, smooth, and uniform movement of the clasps thereon, theliability of said shanks being diverted out of their proper parallelism,and their clasps catching nnevenly on the guides and obstructing theoperation of closing, incident to the connection of the clips by a cordsecured only at their centers, being Wholly avoided.

My herein-described fastening may be conveniently applied to variousobjects or articles of Wear for general business or domesticpurposes-for instance, to gaiter shoes or overgaiters, corsets, gloves,hand-bags, Whipbags, mail-pouches, leggings forbicycle-suits,

covers for trunks, seats, cushions, carriage- Aclip is sewed or rivetedat two points near the edges of the tongue, the series being fastened atdefinite intervals along the tongue.

lvVitness my hand this 24th day of Novembei, i896.

JOHN W, Danno.

In presence olf- ALBERT WV. LYON, S. M. NVooD.

